Features

Directors’ Deals: GKN boss engineers swoop as profits rise

MIKE TURNER, the chairman of GKN, this week celebrated a strong set of
first-half results with the purchase of 100,000 shares in the UK engineering
giant. The shares were bought for 210.70p each, costing Turner, who took on
the role of chairman in May this year, a total of £210,700.

GKN benefited from a broad exposure to global markets, with pre-tax profits up
33% to £266m as sales rose 16% to £3.46 billion. That allowed it to push up
the interim dividend 20% on the previous year, to 2.4p.

However, the results were flattered by the impact of the 2011 fire at the
Gallatin metal plant in Tennessee. Turner, who became a board member in
2009, now holds a total of 260,000 shares, equal to 0.016% of the issued
share capital.

UWE KRUEGER, the chief executive of WS Atkins, doubled his stake in the the
FTSE 250 design and engineering